Nice Games Club - a gamedev podcast!

In this episode Ellen usurps the normal process for a nice game jam prompt to explore her own idea on tabletop mechanics. Who would have thought the scoring system for this game would be 'Points for the Future War'?Stephen's One-Minute Movie - Stephen McGregor's Group, YouTubeDiscussion during developmentSubbuteoSoapboxderby.orgBullet Bill Soapbox Derby Car - Lou Whitmire, Mansfield News JouralPromptMake a tabletop game where the core mechanic is modulating the friction on the board.Game typeTabletop gamePlayer count3-5MaterialsBoard - 5x5 grid where tiles can be placed5 racer sledsRacer weightsTiles with different friction coefficients (terrain tiles)Mission from HQ CardsSpecial Objective CardsSetup1) Racer sleds and racer weights are randomly distributed to the racetrack row. 2) Each racer sled gets the name of a racer. Each racer name should be silly, like Jenny Too-fast or Billy Tumble. 3) Each player draws two Mission from HQ cards and picks one to be their secret objective.  RulesPlayers are given each a set amount of time-travel credits.On their turn, each player uses a time-travel credit to either replace or swap terrain tiles.When each all players have spent their time travel credits, the race is on! All racer sleds are released from their starting box, and the results of the race are observed. Each completed mission results in the number of 'Points for the Future' on the mission from HQ card awarded to that player. The number of points is based on the difficulty of the mission.After the weekend derby is complete (15 rounds), the player with the most point for the future war is declared the winner, but not for 20-30 years.

"Tutorials shouldn’t feel like tutorials!" Like most aspects of game design, it's an easy concept to summarize but a difficult one to pull off. Luke Spierewka and the team at Afterburn Games have mastered it, using their charming approach in successful titles like Golf Peaks and Railbound. Come learn the arcane secrets of the puzzle game tutorial! Also featuring some great room sound.Afterburn Games (studio)Tutorialization with PuzzlesGame DesignOn crafting Railbound, a cozy track-bending puzzle game - Evgeny Obedkov, Game World ObserverDynablaster (game) - WikipediaLuke SpierewkaGuestLuke is a game designer, programmer, and jack of all trades. He makes games, organizes events, gives talks (and interviews) and does "lots of other stuff." He's worked on many titles, including Railbound, Golf Peaks, Gwent, and SUPERHOT. Learn more about Luke at http://spierek.net/

This week, your nice hosts talk a little bit about our civic duty before getting into two very on-brand topics. Make a plan to vote on (or before!) November 5th. Information at https://vote.org/Everything You Need to Vote - Vote.orgWhat States Allow Same Day Voter Registration and When? - Rock the VoteThe Only Patriotic Choice for President - The New York TimesThese are the Republicans endorsing Harris over Trump - Niha Masih, The Washington PostDonald Trump Is Unfit to Lead - The New York TimesDonald Trump’s First Term Is a Warning - New York Times Opinion, The New York TimesRuntime Asset ManagementPhaserSimplify your content management with AddressablesUnityWADDoom WikiDouble Jump vs. DashGames Are Better With Double JumpsHeather AlexandraKotakuWhy Celeste's dash feels great Alex WiltshireRock Paper ShotgunKaizoWikipedia

We welcome Timothy Staton-Davis into the clubhouse to talk both the broad strokes and the nitty-gritty of combat design.Melanated Game Kitchen - itch.ioCombat DesignArtGame DesignWe talked about "juice" in game design way back! You can find links related to the topic here as well."I am a Juice Journeyman!"Pacing - Robert Yang, Andrew Yoder, The Level Design BookTimothy Staton-DavisGuestLead Encounter Designer for Brass Lion Entertainment, and Creative Director of Melenated Game Kitchen.External linkhttps://melanatedgamekitchen.itch.io/

This week, Ellen kicks things off with a chat about how games tell players, “This might be tough!” and how to make that fun and fair. Stephen and Mark jump in with their takes on what makes difficulty settings shine. Then, Mark thinks about the practice taking familiar game mechanics and twisting them into something fresh. Think pacifist runs or limited equipment modes. Why limit yourself to one way to play when you can remix the whole game? As always, there are some goofs in here, too.Unity 6 Preview is now available - Nancy Larue, UnityUnity is canceling the Runtime Fee - Matt Bromberg, UnityUnite Conference - UnityHasbro Game Night (for Switch)We Were Here Series - Total Mayhem Games, SteamLoopy: a tool for thinking in systems - Nicky CaseMachinations: Create digital twins for your systems, processes or economies0:21:44Communicating DifficultyReally Bad ChessPuzzmoOrta Therox & Zach GageAggro Crab Studio"Why Quitting Is Usually Worth It"David Duchovny & Stephen DubnerFreakonomics Radio Network0:40:35Remixed Play ModesMetro NexusNoble Robot10 Most Unique Multiplayer Modes In Video GamesJames KennedyThe GamerExtra game modesUniversal Videogame ListPARKS Board Game59 Parks

This week, learn about what Ellen was like as a student. Stephen wonders if he’s made a huge mistake, Ellen does some work research, and Mark insists that there is no such thing as magic.Stephen started a new class: Film making Ellen forced her parents to play another game! Parks Board GameMark saw the Badger Badger Mushroom song for the first time and was underwhelmed. Consequently, Dale was editing and then also got to see it for the first time, and found that this was the correct response. This video is over 20 years old (2003).Badger Badger Mushroom - Weeb's Stuff, YouTubeMark is (still) working on some User Interface Tools in Unity, called NobleTools0:11:26Scoring 101The four types of scoring discussed: 1. Victory Points 2. Experience Points 3. Stats based scoring 4. Hit PointsPerplexity conversationNoodleThe Training ArcadeKurt Vonnigut The Shape of StoriesStephen JohnsonBig ThinkSumming Salt - Mario Kart DSSumming SaltYouTube0:42:39Turning off the Gamedev BrainMoonwalking with EinsteinWikipediaEllen has been watching the behind the scenes special feature for ' The House that Dragons Built'

Entering the clubhouse this week is our the third Owl (employee of Owlchemy Labs) and first Peabody Award winner (as lead developer for We Are OFK), to talk about the "dos," "don'ts," and "good enoughs" of optimization.Cleveland video game designer Jarryd Huntley wins Peabody Award for ‘We Are OFK’ - Joey Morona, cleveland.comWe are OFK - Peabody AwardsCleveland Game Developers - LinktreeOptimizationHardwareProductionProgrammingIs Using LINQ in C# Bad for Performance? - James Vickers, The Startup For Vs Foreach In C# - Sagar Gavand, C# CornerJarryd HuntleyGuest

There are now episodes of Nice Games Club for each new day of the year! When you get to the last day of that year, you'll hear about Audio Middleware and Psychic Distance from us in the clubhouse.About the Fair - Minnesota State Fair0:17:06Audio MiddlewareAn example of audio tech conversations we've had in the past.Game Audio Tools and WorkflowsWwiseAudiokineticFMODFMOD0:51:32Psychic DistancePsychic Distance: what it is and how to use itEmma DarwinThis Itch of Writing

In this episode the boys are back in Minneapolis, but they are still thinking about their time with Ellen in Duluth, or Roboluth ;) sSo they are using this episode to talk about instructions, again, but this time though the lens of the different types of "user personas" who will be reading it.InstructionsWhat is Roboston?Roboston is a tabletop game that the the Nice Games Club came up with during an podcast Game Jam Episode. For anyone new to the podcast, we recommend starting two episodes back (at 362), for some background on the game. For those of you who wish for a full memory restoration, here is the full episode list:The original Nice Game Jam where Roboston was concievedRoboston! (Live at 2D Con 2020)A follow up episode 197 continues the devlopment because they were so excited about RobostonRoboston! (part 2)The club worked on the game over winter break in 2020-21, episode 207 summarizes what they worked on."It’s March tomorrow."We again visited Roboston over our 2023-24 winter break, and talk about in in episode 337"The Roboston Sessions"Mark and Steven visit Ellen in Duluth where they play a bunch of Roboston"Apply your context, thusly."Rulebook isMore than a script for “the teach”Verbal and visual (and, increasingly, multimedia)Define your PlayersSteve BromleyGame User ResearchDefine your PlayersUser persona is the UX term, Player persona is used in gamesThings to add to the FAQsDoes the value affected by the repeater also get multiplied if you’re adding a part? Does the value for a new part always have to come from the torso? Can you send the robot without having arms/legs/heads? How many dice should I try to go for in this check?Player Personas1. Roboston new playersBox inventory list Anatomical diagram of a robot Game setup diagram (game as a whole, what’s in your hand) Reference cards (player actions, game phases, etc.)2. Roboston experienced players Table of contents Stats for nerds Index (?) FAQ section3. Inexperienced tabletop game players Invitation to play, sense of fun Build trust with the player as the rulebook progresses4. Experienced tabletop game playersResource, reference Allow them to get right to the core, fast

Once again from hilly Duluth, Minnesota! On Day 2 of a game design weekend retreat, your nice hosts tackled rules—writing rules, rewriting rules, and playtesting them. It was a long day, culminating with a family playtest of Roboston, featuring a newly written rulebook. How did it go? Well, there's more work to be done, but we learned a lot. Your hosts discuss this and more in today's episode, recorded on Day 3 of Mark's and Stephen's trip to Duluth. Minnesotan Phrases - Wanderlust In Real LifeDante is the adorable troublemaker who barked MULTIPLE TIMES during the recording session.Resources for Rules-WritingTop Six Rules for Writing RulebooksMeeple MountainHow to Teach GamesThe Giant Brain

It's a nice sleepover as this (and next) week's episode is recorded from Ellen's basement in Duluth. Mark has an angle, Ellen shares her topic, and Stephen manages.The view from the rotating resturant that Mark took Stephen to - Ragnar Eythorsson, YouTubeKaren Puzzles - Karen Kavett, YouTube178 (TNG) + 176 (DS9) + 7 (TOS movies, including "Generations" because Kirk was in it) = 361 episodesNice Games Club = 362 episodesOne Piece aired it's 362nd episode 16 years ago. As of press time, it's up to 1116.Our next target is My Three Sons, which has 380 episodes. We will reach that milestone at the end of 2024.0:07:31Instructions0:33:35Cynicism

It’s hot in the clubhouse and hot in Ellen’s greenhouse this week, so your hosts are eager to crunch through some discussion. Ellen introduces the concept of the MDA framework, and the differences between Theming and Aesthetics, and Stephen comes to a major conclusion about parrying.0:06:40Theming vs. AestheticsThe MDA FrameworkWikipediaEllen promised Dictionary.com definitions, so here you go:AestheticsDictionary.comThemeDictionary.comWe talked about theming and aesthetics for a GameJam Game from a previous episodeThe Bike BoomAlien Isolation Themes explored n : Demystifying the Terror of Alien IsolationAndy RobertsonWired0:28:56ParriesStephen's list of why parries are so popular: 1) A way to reward mastery or paying attention 2) Rewards participation 3) An appreciable way to consider mastering the game The different variations of Parrying 1) Just Dodges 2) Traditional Parrying (miss = block) 3) Dynamic Parrying release parrying 4) Alternate button (paper mario parrying) EVO Moment 37Wikipedia

We invite music producer and sound designer Dave McKee into the clubhouse to talk about accessibility in games this week.AccessibilityAccessibilityGame DesignControl Accessibility Report - "Vivek Gohil, Ben Kendall", Family Gaming DatabaseInclusive Gaming: How Game Developers Can Make Video Games More Inclusive And A… - Accessibility.comVisual impairment accessibility musts:High ContrastUser-set color schemesBig Icons! (more important even than large text, which is also important)Leverage Haptics (HD Rumble) paired with visual cuesToning the music down (Dave recommends, regretfully)Accessibility options should come up at a game’s first-launchThe next Forza will help blind players race by listening to ‘beeps and boops’ - Tom Warren, The VergeRay Tracer - WayverbHow Next-Gen Audio Improvements in Snowdrop Could Mean Real-Time ‘Ray-Tracing A… - Youssef Maguid, UbisoftTekken 8 Accessibility Features Are Causing Controversy - Trumann Tu, GameRantThe Importance of Audio Described Cutscenes - Dom Parker, LinkedInSelf-Voicing - Ren'PyAdditional Resources not talked about on the showXbox Accessibility Guidelines V3.2 - MIcrosoftCan I Play That? - Can I Play That?XR Access - XR AccessDave McKeeGuestAn electronic and orchestral music producer and sound designer going by the name ViRiX.External linkLinktree

We face complexity head-on this episode with two topics that will get your neurons firing. Mark walks through considerations involved with publishing a game to multiple platforms. It's not easy, but it's a lot easier if you plan for it from the start! If you've listened to recent episodes, you'll know that Stephen has been obsessed with the tabletop game Spirit Island. Today, he shares some of the work he's done in creating a new, customized spirit for the game. Also, Mark experiences glitches, and the hosts plan a visit.Twin Cities Playtest from IGDA-TC - Eventbrite0:06:56Targeting Multiple PlatformsWe talked about porting games in Episode 175."Kapow?"Git fork vs branchGreg FosterGraphiteSlayers X: Terminal Aftermath: Vengeance of the SlayerFandomAllow controls to be remapped, reconfiguredGame Accessibility GuidelinesA Brief History of the Playstation’s Confirm And Cancel ButtonsThe Wired Fish Network BlogA Brief History of A & BMatthew GallantThe Quixotic Engineer Blog0:46:49Spirit Island SpiritsSpirit of Creation channelDiscordSpirit Design Deep DiveemilintleGoogle DocsSpirit IslandGreater Than GamesHow to Play: Spirit IslandGreater Than GamesYouTube

"Pillar of the community" and creator of Chipmunk2D Scott Lembcke visits the clubhouse to talk velocity, constraints, and rigidbodies. Ellen gets the music in her head, Stephen didn’t learn the opposite lesson, and Mark makes a pretty good joke about friction.Physics 101ProgrammingChipmunk2D - Scott Lembcke , GitHubGopher (protocol)Building Excalibur.js - Erik Onarheim, YouTubeI'm pretty sure this was the song stuck in Ellen's head.What is an AABB? - Michael Rubloff, Radiance FieldsVeridian Expanse - Howling Moon Software, SteamIs pool actually just mathematics? - Stand-up Maths, YouTubeWhat is up with the spherical cow? - Rhett Allain, WiredAdvanced Character Physics - Thomas Jakobsen, Carnegie Mellon UniversityArc length of an ellipse - Ed Sandifer, The Euler ArchiveBox2D version 3.0 beta test has launched! - Erin Catto, MastodonTen Minute Physics - YouTubeScott LembckeGuest

In this episode, Stephen gets excited about Summer Games Done Quick, reveals some Doctor Who spoilers, and then is shocked that Flappy Dragon has more dragons. Ellen ponders rituals, and why she comes back to some games and not others. And finally, Mark wonders if it is okay to get lost in a super-fun mini-game.0:12:21FamiliarityEllen asks the internet: What are "casual Games"?https://www.perplexity.ai/search/What-are-casual-lDsnct7cTKiv.pJMXYef6wEllen asks the internet: What are "Cozy Games"?https://www.perplexity.ai/search/What-are-cozy-9nReq70iRU6wRyzD1TTSEA0:34:34Pacing MechanicsPaper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door Sets the Standard for Classic Game RemakesEric RavenscraftWired

In the first Nice Games Jam in a few months (and we made it a long one!), your nice hosts explore the history of bicycles to develop a racing board game.Our last Nice Games Club episode:EddiesTwo Wheels Good - Jody RosenSafety Bicycle - WikipediaPromptDesign a racing game in a historical setting.Game typeTabletop gamePlayer count2 - 4MaterialsMap book4-sided diceMeeple to represent racersSetupChoose a map to race on in the map book (only one made right now)Choose a starting point and an ending point on the mapDraw a conditions card from the conditions deck (not made yet! We just used rain, where you have to make a Stability check each time you make a turn)RulesSame area through timeYou choose your rider and bike (each with different stats) based on how the map looksYou spend your resources to get new bikes or upgrade a bikeWe started with penny farthings (bad stats), you can buy better ones later.At the start of the race you draw a “condition”, affects the course to make more stability checksYou also randomly get a start and end place (we just set it as corner to corner for testing)Types of stats: Speed: how far you can goWeight: how heavy your bike is, how hard uphill is and how fast downhill isCapacity: how much you can hold on your bikeStability: how easy it is to get past stability checksDurability: how much failing a stability check affects you

Time is money, friend! Okay, not always. Sometimes time is a puzzle involving many interlocking responsibilities. That’s Beth’s situation, and she asks Mark and Stephen for advice on time management in the second half of this roundtable episode. During the first half, Stephen shares some BIG NEWS that will soon place some additional responsibilities on his shoulders. Beth and Mark offer suggestions.Narrative NuanceVerdant Skies0:4:40Creative DirectionA previous episode relating to Stephen's big news!Nice Thinking: "Sledgehammer Bride"0:31:35Time ManagementPomodoro TechniqueWhat is a sprint?Scrum.orgThe Eisenhower Matrix (important vs urgent)Wikipedia

Your nice hosts welcome famed designer Ron Gilbert (Monkey Island, Thimbleweed Park) into the clubhouse to discuss the virtues of inexperience, friction for its own sake, how it's all about story, and it's puzzles all the way down.The Intersection of Puzzle and StoryGame DesignNarrativeProductionReturn to Monkey Island will have a hint system because the internet exists now - Joshua Rivera, PolygonVerdant Skies - SteamClassic Game Postmortem: Maniac Mansion - GDC, YouTubeThe phrase "confederacy of dunces" derives from a Jonathan Swift quote.Examples of movies that feature a poorly-received genre twist include Serenity (2019), Remember Me (2010), and Safe Haven (2013).Ron GilbertGuestOwner of Terrible Toybox, the designer/creator of Monkey Island, The Cave, Pajama Sam and the designer/co-creator of Maniac Mansion, DeathSpank and Thimbleweed Park. Co-designer of Return to Monkey Island.External linkMastodon - @grumpygamer@mastodon.gamedev.placeBlog - Grumpy GamerStudio - Terrible Toybox

This week, your nice hosts talk about code that isn't yours and ask about the natural conclusion of the narrative. Mark is handy, Ellen kinda wants to add a note, and Stephen is grounded.It looked so easy in the brochure, but the brochure lied - Antony Ingram, Hagerty0:07:41Code LibrariesBest practices for writing code commentsEllen SpertusStack Overflow BlogDeclare namespaces to organize typesMicrosoft LearnYour nice hosts discussed licensing in a previous episode:"What's a little grand larceny?"Game OversAlternatives to the Game Over screenGame DeveloperWe didn't mention it in the episode for some reason, but our "Metroidvania-lite" game Widget Satchel had no deaths, game overs, or failure states.